Fisheries Management Act 1994

The Minister may authorise the Rural Assistance Authority (the Authority)—

to enter into a loan or other contract under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program on behalf of the Minister, and

to administer any loan or other contract entered into under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program.

The Authority is subject to the control and direction of the Minister in the exercise of any functions conferred on it by or under this section.

Subject to subsection (2)—

the Authority may exercise in relation to a loan or other contract entered into under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program any function that the Authority has under section 35 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 in relation to assistance granted by it (as if a loan granted under the Aboriginal fishing assistance program were assistance granted by the Authority under that Act), and

section 44 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 applies to assistance granted under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program as if applications for loans under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program were made to the Authority, and

section 46 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 applies to loans granted under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program as if they were assistance granted under a program under that Act and as if statements made to the Minister in connection with loans were statements made to the Authority.

The regulations may apply, with or without modification, any other provisions of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 to or in respect of an Aboriginal fishing assistance program administered wholly or partly by the Authority.

All money received or recovered by or on account of the Authority under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program is to be paid into the Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund, despite Part 5 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989.

The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, deduct from any money received or recovered by the Authority under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program the costs incurred by the Authority in the exercise of its functions under this section (being costs that would otherwise be payable from the Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund).

Money deducted under subsection (6) is to be paid into the Rural Assistance Authority Fund established under the Rural Assistance Act 1989.

Despite subsection (5), the Minister may transfer the amount of any loan under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program into the Rural Assistance Authority Fund to facilitate the administration of the loan by the Authority under this section. The amount so transferred is to be paid out of that Fund only for that purpose.